Arizona struggles with a high rate of domestic violence under normal circumstances; however, with the State being under a lock-down order as of March 31st, 2020, most people are now quarantined in their homes. The inability to leave their homes, among other things, adds to tensions and has resulted in an increase of felony domestic violence cases.
Alcohol Doesn’t Help Life in Quarantine
It’s bad enough in everyday life when people get under each other’s skin and are prone to arguments. When alcohol is added to the mix, incidents of domestic violence only go up. But when people cannot safely leave the house and are quarantined in their home because of COVID-19, domestic violence arrests have gone up tremendously. The reality is that many people are using quarantine as an opportunity to consume copious amounts of alcohol. This only adds to everyday problems.
Will Police Take Me to Jail in Light of COVID-19
The short answer is “yes”. Arizona law still requires that someone arrested for domestic violence goes to jail. Even though jails are unsafe, unclean, and likely to house many carriers of COVID-19, the law still remains the law. That places people at greater risk if they are arrested. Standard release orders require that offenders not return to the scene of the alleged crime and that they not have contact with the alleged victim. This means that not only could you be facing felony domestic violence charges, but you could be exposed to people who are infected and, upon your release, have no home to return to.
We Represent Clients Charged With Domestic Violence, COVID-19 or No COVID-19
The reality of the situation is that the criminal justice system is moving forward, albeit under strained circumstances. While many hearings in Maricopa County are “non-appearance” only, people charged with violent offenses – such as domestic violence – are still seeing their cases moving forward as usual. We are “business as usual” when it comes to representing our clients. Although many of our consultations are being done through Zoom or other video-conferencing platforms, we are nonetheless zealously representing all of our clients, whether they are charged with domestic violence, white-collar offenses, or drug trafficking crimes. The police do not stop enforcing the laws and we do not stop representing our clients.
If you or someone you know has been charged with domestic violence or other felony offense, contact us to set up a confidential consultation at (602) 663-9100. Stay safe and stay healthy. Please continue to practice social distancing and try to cough into your elbow and not at us.